What we drink—hydrating or harmful?

“Do you drink pop?” “Do you drink coffee with cream and sugar?” “Do you drink Gatorade or Red Bull?” “Do you drink a lot of orange juice or other fruit juices?” “Do you drink wine?” Have you ever wondered why you are asked so many ridiculous questions during your preventive dental visits? These questions are more relevant to your dental health than you may think. Dietary habits have changed over the course of the last 50 years. As we have become a society increasingly spending more time in our cars commuting and being taxi cab drivers for our children, our cars have become changing rooms and kitchen tables. Additionally, the number of calories we drink has increased exponentially. Not only can we choose from soda, diet soda, bottled water, juices, power drinks, and energy drinks, but also from thousands of different coffee creations. In the dental world, used to warn our patients about the sugar in regular sodas and advise a switch to diet sodas. This is not a solution; in fact….it is just as big a problem. What we are drinking is affecting more than just our waistlines.

High school science taught us that pH is the measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline. Pure water (tap) has pH very close to 7, or neutral. Everything that we put into our mouths to drink and eat has a pH. What does this have to do with dentistry? A lot. In laboratory experiments tooth enamel can begin to dissolve at a pH of 5.3. Dentin is the layer underneath the enamel, and can be exposed for a number of different reasons. Dentin begins to dissolve at a pH of 6.7. Back when we would advise switching from regular soda to diet because of the sugar, what we failed to understand was that it wasn’t just the sugar that was harmful, it was the acid. Taking a look at the pH of very common, everyday drinks is concerning. As a patient, you might have been asked many questions relating to what kind of drinks you consume on a regular basis. Dietary counseling has become a big part of the oral hygiene instruction I give to my patients on a daily basis. A lot of people dread their dental appointments anyway, and now we are advising taking away their beloved diet Coke, too…. Not necessarily, but we want our patients to be aware of the risks and then try to give solutions that will potentially help. We don’t mean to be a buzzkill, but over time the damage begins to show. Acid erosion, tooth sensitivity, and decay are all potential issues. There are over-the-counter toothpastes specially formulated to help fight the acids that we ingest daily. Prescription level fluoride toothpastes can also be used to fight decay and tooth sensitivity. Xylitol, a natural sugar, has research behind it showing that it can help to fight bacteria that cause decay as well as raise the pH of the mouth. Xylitol is readily available in over the counter gums and mints. (Bottled water is not necessarily a solution because, surprisingly, some have been tested at a pH well into the acidic range.) We as dental professionals just want to help. Tooth sensitivity is a big problem in today’s dental world, and it’s easy to see why. Please feel free to ask us about it when you are at your next dental appointment.